Ouroboros Spine My atonement lasts the best part of eternity.

The name she bestowed had as much sense as nuak to him, and he flashed his teeth to ward away the magic of it. The witch could call him what she wished. He knew the truth of the matter: he was no-one without her spells and her little talks, whatever value attributed by the white woman of this village or the bruin-witch of the valley, it was in their own heads.

He paced, useless and abandoned there, as Kukutux turned away. As she began to leave him Nuak considered his chances of launching an attack or of escaping, but there was a man there with them; he had not noticed the man until now, so vehement his anger and focused on the woman. One look from him and Nuak gave up. He turned to the cavern's depths and cloistered himself there against the shadowed wall to wait.